![\"Trains](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Trains_Washington_Watch.jpg\")
WASHINGTON \u2014 A Pennsylvania congressman is asking the Federal Railroad Administration and Norfolk Southern for explanations about a series of derailments in the Altoona area this year.<\/p>\nWASHINGTON \u2014 A Pennsylvania congressman is asking the Federal Railroad Administration and Norfolk Southern for explanations about a series of derailments in the Altoona area this year.<\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-Altoona) has written FRA Administrator David Fink and the railroad to ask a series of questions about four derailments in Blair County, Pa., since February of this year. The most recent, on Oct. 23 in Altoona, involved at least 11 railcars [see \u201cNS train derails \u2026,\u201d<\/a> Oct. 23, 2026]. Some cars carried hazardous materials, although no spills occurred.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the grandson of two railroad workers, rail safety is part of my heritage, and now it\u2019s part of my responsibility in Congress to get to the bottom of these glaring failures,\u201d Joyce said in a press release<\/a>. \u201c\u2026 This oversight effort is an important step toward holding Norfolk Southern accountable for its lack of response to the increase in derailments and ensuring that Norfolk Southern steps up and meets the highest standards of safety for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the half-dozen questions in the letter to Fink<\/a> are whether the FRA has investigated the possibility of a common link among the derailments, and if it has determined steps that need to be taken to prevent future incidents.<\/p>\n Joyce\u2019s letter to NS CEO Mark George<\/a> includes questions about an infrastructure plan to address the derailments; why inspections failed to identify the risks that led to the derailments; and whether specialized evaluations are taking place in the area of Horseshoe Curve.<\/p>\n \u201cNorfolk Southern must do more to prevent these accidents and assure the local community that it can operate safely through Blair County\u2019s rail corridors,\u201d Joyce wrote in the letter to George. \u201cA timely response to these questions is critical to understanding how Norfolk Southern will fulfill that duty.\u201d<\/p>\n The earlier incidents included a 65-car derailment near Horseshoe Curve in February [see \u201cNorfolk Southern train derails \u2026,\u201d<\/a> Trains.com, Feb. 6, 2026]; a March incident near the curve involving two locomotives and 17 cars [see \u201cNS train derails \u2026,\u201d<\/a> March 7, 2026], and a 12-car incident at Horseshoe Curve in August captured by a railfan video streaming site [see \u201cNorfolk Southern train derails at Horseshoe Curve,\u201d<\/a> Aug. 12, 2026]. There were no injuries and no hazardous-material releases in any of the incidents.<\/p>\n Through Sept. 30, Norfolk Southern\u2019s train accident rate declined 31% compared to the same period last year, according to the railroad\u2019s third-quarter earnings presentation. Chief Operating Officer Brian Barr called the performance an \u201chistorical best for Norfolk Southern.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe key thing here is when you look at our accident rates, they have been consistently declining for three years, and we are really at the envy of the industry levels of of accidents,\u201d George said on the railroad\u2019s earnings call last week. He credited the improvements to the railroad\u2019s investments in technology such as train inspection portals.<\/p>\n